Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 17 hours ago
The Ring of Fire surrounding the Pacific Ocean is one of Earth's best-known geologic features. Why doesn't the Atlantic Ocean also have a Ring of Fire? This video explains what makes the Ring of Fire, and what is different about the Atlantic Basin that gives it a Ring of Oil and Gas instead. The answer goes all the way back to the break-up of the supercontinent Pangea, and requires a look miles beneath the Earth's surface and the bottom of the ocean. Microsoft Paint diagrams shows what all of it looks like if you could cut the Earth open.
The Ring of Fire surrounding the Pacific Ocean is one of Earth's best-known geologic features. Why doesn't the Atlantic Ocean also have a Ring of Fire? This video explains what makes the Ring of Fire, and what is different about the Atlantic Basin that gives it a Ring of Oil and Gas instead. The answer goes all the way back to the break-up of the supercontinent Pangea, and requires a look miles beneath the Earth's surface and the bottom of the ocean. Microsoft Paint diagrams shows what all of it looks like if you could cut the Earth open.
